


A New Age

by ArrowheadProductions



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst and Humor, Barbara Gordon is Oracle, Batkids Are Little Shits, Betrayal, Blood and Violence, But I Made Most of this Up, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, Drama, Eventual Romance, Explicit Language, F/M, Family Drama, Humor, Jason Todd is Red Hood, Jason is Bi, Nothing Too Sexually Explicit, Organized Crime, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, References to Certain Parts of Canon, Slow Burn, Stephanie Brown is Spoiler, Team Bonding, The A Team and the B Team, Tim Drake is Robin, Undercover Bruce, Undercover as a Couple, will they/won't they
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-11
Updated: 2017-06-24
Packaged: 2018-10-30 14:03:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10878309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArrowheadProductions/pseuds/ArrowheadProductions
Summary: In order to prevent Gotham from being the target of a Russian militant attack, courtesy of a new technologically-equipped criminal organization called the "Syndicate", Bruce uses Wayne Enterprises as a potential ally so he can go deep undercover and disband the group. In the meantime, he enlists his family to hold down Gotham and unravel the many mysteries surrounding the Syndicate, all the while having zero communication with Bruce. Gotham lies in its new protector's hands.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is going to be the first of a trilogy that I have fairly planned out. I hope you all enjoy it and go with the flow of it all!

_**December 25th; 2:53 am** _

_**A warehouse outside of Moscow, Russia** _

 

This wasn't what he signed up for. None of this was what he signed up. 

He slipped and stumbled through the tundra without a clear destination in sight. All that existed over the horizon was a black abyss that was enhanced by the mounds of snow that endlessly stretched out. Turning back was not an option, but he knew he was facing certain-death no matter which way he turned. Ahead, lie a cold and blistering death, but behind him meant the death of his dignity as well. When he'd escaped from the depths of the underground prison camp, he'd already made that choice rather quickly. He winced at the thought of what they were doing to the others in retaliation. They knew nothing, but they'd be made examples of anyway. 

He couldn't take what they stood for any longer, what they planned. He didn't know how he could have been so blind before. Now, he was running for his life from the life he'd fought for all that time ago. There's never been an escape before or even an attempted escape before, but if this meant saving others, he would have to do just that.

He didn't hear the bullets leave the barrels, but realized their presence when they broke contact with his back three times. It didn't hurt necessarily, likely because of the numbness of his entire body, but it jutted him forward in response. As he soared, thee distant abyss never looked so good. He fell in what felt like a slow succession to the earth. The snow was all he could really feel and it burned like the chemicals that graced his flesh in various circumstances this past year.

Boots came into his closing eyesight, but he still couldn't hear much outside of his own breathing. It was getting more shallowing and clogged with the taste of blood, but he heard the pants anyway. 

Realizing they were likely recording him to use as an example for others who tried to break their rules, he found the strength to lift his head from the cemented position on the ground. His vision was hazy and consciousness was escaping, but he wanted to say something. He had to stop this, even if he couldn't.

"Bat... Man... Stop... Come..." He couldn't elaborate more before his head was kicked roughly by one of the aggressive boots that stood around him. Everything went black and he was briefly at peace to be united with the abyss again.

 

_**December 26th; 10:47 pm** _

_**The Batcave** _

"Do we know who this man was?" Bruce asked over Barbara's shoulder and the 25 year old immediately began typing fervently to pull up a full scale biography on the suffering man who'd made headlines on Christmas day.

"Alexei Valery, age 41, gone missing from Gotham City 4 years ago and was rumored to be in cahoots with upcoming extremist group known as The Syndicate."

"He's from Gotham. That explains why he asked for Batman."

"Exactly. Now the crazy thing about The Syndicate? Everything is from word of mouth. This is the first time they've made the news outside of the police report suggesting he joined the Syndicate. Most people claim they're a fake group, but they hide in the shadows."

"That's impossible. There has to be more than that. Check files, missing person's reports, databases, myth websites, hate websites--"

"--Bruce, the more you go on the more insulted I'm going to get." She huffed. "As I was saying, nothing. I'm sure they have stuff, leave their marks in some way, because otherwise they wouldn't exist and people couldn't join, but that's the thing. They have to approach people to join and are NOT nice about it."

"How do you--" Bruce stopped short and narrowed his eyes at her. "Barbara..."

She looked up at him. "Yeah, big surprise, a major hacking-centered terrorist group wanted me to join and give them control to NASA. This is not my first rodeo, you know."

"Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"Because there's nothing you can do. The only way you can defeat these guys are if you know where they are or if you fry their entire systems, which I did. I had to wait for another signal that they were back before I could take any other shots at them."

"How did they approach you?"

"It was through what seemed to be a chain email, but I knew better. They're very sneaky, but I'm sneakier. Alexei Valery, here, worked for a radioshack when he was living in the states. Something tells me he was more into the bomb-development territory of technology as opposed to the cell phone plan side. Otherwise, these guys wouldn't be remotely interested."

"So I've got to make them interested in Wayne Enterprises."

"Bruce..."

"Fighting these guys from overseas isn't going to work, Barbara. This man was begging for Batman to come and I intend to do just that." 

"Or he was telling Batman  _not_ to come."

"Either way, I have to."

"And Gotham?"

"I assume you and the others will manage."


	2. Familiar Liaisons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce ensures that Gotham isn't left in the wrong hands while he's away.

_**December 27th, 4:25 am** _

**_Dick's Apartment_ **

__"I think you took a wrong turn home." Nightwing smirked as Batman shrouded himself in darkness on the corner of his roof. It had been a fairly slow night in ****Blüdhaven, but that didn't mean the same for Gotham. Gotham's slow nights could be considered busy nights for places like Metropolis. It didn't suffer as many alien invasions, but it compensated in low-level criminals who were wielded by their crime lords.

"How have things been here?" He ignored his joke to Nightwing's dismay. He bought Bruce several joke books over the past few years as Father's Day presents, hoping he'd eventually develop some semblance of a sense of humor.

"Good, pretty slow." He shrugged. "You did just see me two days ago, you know. Has something happened?"

"Something is happening." The older man nodded and looked off into the distance. Gotham's smoggy skies could be seen over the water. Dick always looked over and wondered what the team was doing and whether or not they finally got Joker for good or which lunatic was running for city office this time. He liked Blüdhaven a lot and it's where he became his own singular hero, but Gotham was always there, calling. 

"Care to elaborate, or am I supposed to sit here and brood over something I'm unaware of."

"I'm going away for a while on a very stringent mission and I'm leaving the team alone in Gotham."

"... Okay."

"I can't say how long I'll be gone or when I'll be able to communicate with anyone. Everything is up in the air."

"Is this an undercover job?"

"Yes. Deep."

"Dangerous?"

"If Oracle's fears are true, this could be one of the biggest threats we've gone against. In fact, she's unsure if I'll even make it back from such a mission."

"That doesn't sound like her." He knew Barbara Gordon to be one of the most supportive and determined people he ever met. She was a realist, but she did everything in her control (and sometimes out of it) to keep those she cared about alive. She never doubted any of them, because she knew their strengths. If Barbara felt this was above Bruce's head, it very well was. He knew Bruce too, though. He knew there was something bigger than the mission that struck him and propelled him forward anyway. He likely wouldn't open up and tell Dick or any of them about it, but it gnawed at his very core and that was plain to see. 

There was no stopping him.

"Do you need me to go with you?"

"No, I have someone for that. However, I do need your help."

"Anything."

"As much as I believe Oracle can run the team on her own, I'm sure she would appreciate your help. She is still running the Birds of Prey and working as an analyst at the GCPD. You'll both be in charge."

"Why do I feel like we're the two oldest kids and you're leaving us in charge for the weekend to make sure Jason doesn't throw a crazy party?"

Surprisingly, he cracked a small smile at that. "That's basically what I'm doing."

"So, what? You want me to make sure Red Hood doesn't put too many bullets into people, Spoiler and Robin don't make any Batbabies, and Oracle doesn't overdose on caffeine?"

"That, and Gotham needs a Batman while I'm gone."

 

_**December 27th, 9:00 am** _

_**The Batcave** _

"Why am I even here? I work alone." Jason grumbled next to Tim, Stephanie, and Barbara. It felt very reminiscent of his childhood when he'd be sitting next to Dick and Barbara while Bruce ranted on about something until Alfred broke him off or someone fell asleep. For a stoic and typically wordless man, Bruce Wayne could go on tiring rants when he wanted to, particularly when they were depressing or when he was right about something.

"You only work alone when it suits you just as you're only on this team when it suits you." Bruce corrected.

"And does this suit me?" He challenged.

"I won't be around to save your ass when you get in over your head, so yeah, I'd say this applies." 

"What's all of this about?" Stephanie asked. "As the placeholder for second most disappointing member of this team, I'd just like to say I don't take kindly to long waits."

"Better luck next year, Blondie. Who knows? Maybe I'll die again and you can take first place."

"Encouraging." 

"You're not a disappointment, Steph." Tim assured.

"Wow." Jason feigned offense. "Thank you very much for the vote of confidence, Replacement. I really appreciate it."

"Guys, this is serious." Bruce interjected. 

"Is anything you say ever unserious? Answer that honestly."

"You've been uncharacteristically quiet there, Barb." Tim said, looking across the couch at the redhead. "What's up?"

She looked up and exchanged a cold stare with Bruce. The two were silent, but their looks were screaming at one another. Jason had half a mind to clap his hands in front of them to force them to blink, but he was afraid he'd lose a hand over it. Even he could tell when things were too serious for joking matters and it appeared that by Barbara's steely glare alone, this was a doozy.  

"Bruce is doing something stupid that I completely disagree with." She broke the silence. 

"I'm doing what I must."

"You're going down the rabbit hole with no communication, no protection, and no idea what the hell you're getting yourself into! That is the opposite of what the renowned "World's Greatest Detective" is supposed to do!"

"We've discussed this before Barbara--"

"--No no, you said "I'm doing it and that's final" which is hardly a conversation, FYI."

"Can someone please fill us in?" Tim asked. 

"Yeah, so we can decide who's team to be on?" Jason said.

"Oracle, since you're the most knowledgable on our newest foe, maybe you should do the honors." Bruce nodded.

"Ah yes, I'm the most knowledgable and yet I'm not the one engaging in the suicide mission. Interesting."

"Barbara..."

"Anyway." She cut in and rose to her feet. Everyone still looked at her with a bit of surprise when she did that. Ever since the implant forged by Wayne Enterprises was able to create a device that rehabilitated spinal cord injuries, she was able to move as if she'd never been shot. Of course, it took months of physical therapy to get her moving on her feet the same way again and to build up lost muscle mass, but she was there. She could even fight again. That didn't mean the scars weren't still there or she didn't see Joker's wicked smile when she went to sleep at night.

"What we're dealing with is a criminal and almost mythological organization called the Syndicate. We know very little about the Syndicate other than what the whispers from word of mouth. Basically, everything we've got to base on these guys stems from rumors."

"Then how do we know they're real?" Stephanie asked.

"Well, they tried to recruit me, for one, a couple years ago. I was interning at the GCPD at the time and the character of Oracle has a lot of pull. I can hack and have access to all mainstream and underground databases. I was a perfect model for them. They sent me this cryptic chain email that at first, I assumed was simply riddled with viruses and didn't open. Then, they began sending me anonymous gifts to my doorstep. Whoever was trying to get me involved knew me pretty well. Of course, these people are all basically ghosts. In other words, the world presumes most of them dead. To join, you have to fake your own death and submit yourself to the organization."

"Damn, Barbie. How'd you take them down the first time?"

She scoffed. "Well, Jay, I might have overridden their system completely, causing a  _very_ drastic explosion on their end. Had I not, they would have had access to the entire Justice League."

"Which is why you can't go." Bruce said. "You know too much. Whoever infiltrates this group needs to be almost as unassuming and unknowing as the people that accept the offers."

"This isn't like anything we've been up against before." She sighed. "When I blasted their systems, I realized I wouldn't hear from them again given their elusive nature. If they're spooked, they dive underground, because that is where they operate most efficiently. If we believe the cross-examined rumors I've gathered, they essentially run and distribute the crime in the United States. Bruce, if you get recruited, you can't contact any of us. You'll have to single-handedly dismantle the entire process!"

"I won't be going alone, Barbara." He said and out from the shadows walked the ever mysterious Selina Kyle.

"How long have you been standing there, Kitty?" Jason asked.

"Long enough, Hood." She winked at him.

"Wait, so you won't let  _us_ go with you, but you're going to take  _her_?" Tim scowled. "Bruce, no offense, but this doesn't exactly seem like the game a petty cat burglar should be playing! Take me! I've been priming for a mission of this capacity for years."

"Seem a little too desperate there, Robbie." Selina raised an eyebrow. "Trying to show you're ready to be a man?"

"I'm sorry, Tim, but Selina has assets that are far too useful that you simply do not contain."

"EW!" Stephanie wrinkled her nose. "I mean, I knew you two were doing it, but you don't need to be so gross about it."

"Russia is pretty cold, man." Jason smirked. "That might not be too good for your  _assets_."

"I MEAN INTEL!" Bruce snapped and his face was a shade of red that all too common when giving a briefing to the entire team. Sometimes he forgot how young they all were. Tim was only 16, Stephanie having a year on him at 17, and Jason was just barely 21. He wondered if Dick would supply any levity or if he would just be another person for Barbara to babysit while he was away. She'd understand that having a Batman in place was necessary, but Bruce knew she and Dick's history could make things a little awkward. He knew the former Robin was still likely head over heels for her, but was unsure if she felt the same. Either way, it would prove to be interesting.

"Well, I have  _assets_ and intel." Her fingers danced up the back of his neck and he swallowed heavily. Yeah, he'd be a liar to say that thought hadn't crossed his mind once when he'd approached her last night about Syndicate. She was his connection to the criminal world, despite her playing both sides of the fence at times and he knew if anyone knew of an underground terrorist group that operated outside of Gotham, it would be her.

"And what is said intel?" Barbara narrowed her eyes. She'd admit, her trust in Selina Kyle had increased since she formed the Birds of Prey and Catwoman proved to be very useful. However, she still tended to go whichever way the wind was blowing and it was Oracle's job to determine exactly which way it was. Would she be helping them or was there another move at play here? Bruce was always blinded when it came to her. Sure, he'd choose justice over her at the end of the day, but his judgment was always impaired for a while. She had this tendency to make him think up is down and down is up. 

"Oracle, I heard you were doing better. I'm so glad to see the rumors were true" She looked to her functioning legs and was earnest in her delivery. She didn't doubt that she meant it. She believed she was a good person deep down.

"Selina's already a member of the Syndicate." Bruce said quietly.

Okay, maybe not.


	3. An Indecent Proposal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce hasn't even left town yet and it's already apparent Gotham city's criminals are not going to make his absence easygoing.

_**December 28th; 8:13 am** _

_**GCPD** _

Barbara stuck a file in her mouth while she threw her hair up in a ponytail and she moved through the obstacle course of busy people. Everyone was buzzing, because there was a mysterious bombing at Gotham General around sunrise and the perpetrators were directly in relation to the mayor. Of course, this sent her father's entire department into a frenzy, because everyone was spinning in all directions trying to figure out a way to stop this from being a reoccurrence. Good news was, Barbara had a pretty damning lead that might make her father's day.

"Hey Da-er... Commissioner." She stumbled as she walked through his office without a knock or hesitance. "I think I've got something you might like to see."

"Do you now, Gordon?" The twinkle in his eye was not lost on her and she knew it made him proud to see her show up to work every day at the GCPD and using her skills to help achieve justice in the light of day. Of course, Babs didn't mention that most of her reason for taking the job was how convenient it made her night job. She could run whatever tests and leads they needed her to there and use a lot of that information to pass on to Batman. Then, whatever she got from working at night, she'd pass along to the day so her father and the GCPD could get the arrest. 

Also, she looked good in a pantsuit.

"Yes!" She beamed and unfolded the contents of the file onto his desk. "I've been running a lead for the past couple of days. It was more of a suspicion when I'd started and I wanted to gather a bit more proof before I confirmed anything to you, but I analyzed the toxicity of the bombing that happened late last night and compared it to that of a bombing that occurred in Star City a few years ago. The circumstances are almost identical. It happened between 3 and 5 am outside of a hospital and again, the impact of the bomb didn't kill anyone--"

"--The fumes did, which is why they took out hospitals." Commissioner Gordon finished her thought. "Do you think it's Scarecrow?"

Barbara shook her head. "No signs of fear toxins in any of my reports, but I did do some digging for police footage of the night in Star City. Something this big and bold and the perps always leave some kind of tell that they did it, kind of like how artists sign paintings. Everybody's an attention whore."

Her father chuckled alongside her as she whipped out a magnifying glass to hold up to the two pictures side by side. On the left was the recent bombing from early that morning and the other was from Star City about 4 years before. 

"Do share then, Nancy Drew."

"At first I didn't see anything, because obviously, this picture just looks like smoke and a bunch of debris."

"That _is_ mostly what I'm seeing."

"But." She enunciated. "Then I remembered that neither of these photos were obtained through CSI."

"Yeah, our guys take pictures after the dust settles for evidence. There's no evidence in these shots, they're from a cell phone or something."

"Yeah, they're for newspaper headlines usually, but they're definitely professional photos. iPhones and Androids are certainly growing more impressive daily, but not to this level of definition."

"Where are you going with this? Why are you showing me this again?"

"Because I realized there isn't a physical signature on this crime scene, but the pictures  _are_ the signatures."

Her father raised his eyebrows. "I don't doubt you, Barb, but how can you tell?"

She raised the magnifying glass to the pictures. "First, the angle. These two shots were taken from the exact same position and they're four years apart. If I didn't have the Gotham City skyline cemented into my brain, I would have thought these hospitals were one in the same. Second, the color of the base of the smoke. See how it starts off as a purplish hue and then floats into gray matter? That's peculiar and indicates a similar chemical reaction. Third, these were taken at the exact same time."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I can tell by the exact height of the moon in the sky in accordance to the shadows on the walls."

"Seriously?" His eyes bugged out.

"No." She laughed. "There are clocks hidden in each picture. See the one in Star City? If you closely, you can see a glass bottle with a faint reflection. It's tough to tell from these photographs, but I utilized graphical reconstruction on my computer and bam!" She pulled out another printed photo of her own. This time, it had a zoomed in picture of a wristwatch in the tinted green reflection of the glass bottle.

"4:45."

"Well, 4:44 to be exact." She shrugged and slid the photo of Gotham's attack in front of him. In this picture, there's a digital clock that can be seen if you enhance the photo, right in the window of the building to our photographer's right."

"I'm assuming you have that picture--" Before he could finish his sentence, she slipped it on top. "4:44."

"The way the clock is facing the window like that seems pretty intentional too." She pursed her lips. "Why would someone have the face of their clock facing outside if they didn't mean for someone to see it. The precision, calculation, the placement of the clocks? This has Clock King all over it. My advice? Send cars to the corner of 5th and 6th to check that place out... Unless you want other provisions to take care of the search."

He paused and stared at her knowingly for a moment. He seemed to consider his options and shook his head. "I think we've got this. We've dealt with Clock King before. We'll get him again."

"Okay, well if you need it, you know how to call." She nodded and he agreed.

"Hey..." He placed a hand on her shoulder before she could turn to leave. "You did good today, Gordon. You've done this department a hell of a lot in the improvement of efficiency and definitely in the speed at which we tackle these guys. And I know you're out there with us in your own way too."

He was referring to Batgirl, of course, when he said this. She wasn't out in the field as often as she used to, obviously, but she'd made her appearances and provided physical backup when she needed to. It was weird, her father was actually more accepting of her position as Batgirl post-recovery from her spinal cord injury. Before she'd been paralyzed, he was vehemently against her working with The Bat. The thing was, her paralysis occurred as Barbara Gordon, not as Batgirl. Maybe he felt better about her being under some kevlar and administering kickassery with sufficient backup. Surely, that was another reason he liked having her at the GCPD so much. 

"Thanks, Commissioner." She smiled and nodded.

"Oh and Barbara?" He sounded a lot more like her father than her boss.

"Yeah?"

"There was a bank robbery downtown about 20 minutes ago. I got reports that a "Nightwing" has handled it."

She froze in her steps and turned back to face him. "Nightwing?"

"Yeah. You didn't tell me your boyfriend was back in town."

She sighed. She didn't know why she was so surprised. Of course Dick was coming back to help while Bruce was embarking on his romantic suicide mission with Selina. They needed all the help they could get, especially with Clock King apparently giving them a press for time. They'd seen each other just a few days ago at Christmas dinner and everything had been fine. It was always fine when he popped in to see her or everyone else, but this was going to be somewhat longterm and it had been a while since the two of them did  _anything_ longterm together.

When had things gotten so messy between them? It was mostly unspoken of course, because they were both kind of stubborn and young and stupid. To slice it down in oversimplified terms: He loved her and she didn't love him back (or at least, she didn't  _know_ she loved him back), she loved him and he galavanted off with a perfect alien princess, they made out the night before his wedding and then didn't speak for a while out of discomfort, they had a lot of no strings attached sex since neither were ready for anything longterm, then she was and knew he wasn't (or she thought he wasn't), she dated someone else, he dated someone else, then they had (a lot) more (not so) random sex, which ultimately lead into a rather heartbreaking admission of love from the both of them, but of course, the timing was terrible and both were going in different directions (ie: Barbara had just had the implant placed in her spine and had to do the Batgirl thing on her own and Dick was about to pretend to die for a while to stay incognito). 

Now they were friends, but that was easier to maintain when she had him at a distance.   

"He's not my boyfriend." She muttered and stalked out of his office. "I'm going to check out that apartment complex." 

* * *

 

_**December 28th; 12:21 pm** _

_**Wayne Enterprises** _

"There's a part of this I didn't mention to you." Selina said quietly while she and Bruce waited in the elevator at Wayne Enterprises. They were heading to a meeting on the top floor, held by Bruce, to instigate the development of advanced weaponry. Bruce didn't even tell Lucius about the deception that was at place. Honestly, the most people out of the loop the better. Bruce hated that he even had to put Selina at any risk, no matter how much thrill she seemed to get out of it. 

"What's that?"

"They don't just allow boyfriends into the big bad club."

"Even with my resources?"

"You mean "money", because I've got plenty of resources."

"Through me."

"And other channels."

"Selina..."

"Look, Brucie, I know you don't like it, but we're going to have to get hitched."

He blinked at her for a moment. "What?"

"Not seriously!" She snorted. "We'll have a fairly public wedding, Barbara is more than capable of forging proof that you and my non-thief alias has been an item for a while, and a marriage certificate will be drawn up."

"This is a pretty romantic way to propose." He smirked.

"I could get on my hands and knees if you want." She turned so she was flushed against him. Her eyes were twinkling with mystery and Bruce found himself lost in them as he always seemed to. She could have been called "Cheshire" if the name wasn't already taken, because he believed the only way for a man not to be a little hypnotized by Selina Kyle was if he was entirely blind and deaf. 

"Maybe on the honeymoon." He responded cooly, even though the heat that was rising in his ears was evident. "It is a long flight to Russia."

She leaned in like she was going to kiss him, and although they'd kissed a thousand times over the course of their non-definitive relationship (if you could call it that), his heart still pounded in his chest in way only she could derive from him. Sometimes, she was the only person in the world that could remind him what feeling meant. 

_Maybe being married to her wouldn't be so bad._

The elevator doors swung open and they stepped apart from each other in sync. Four men in similar business suits already sat at the table and Bruce guided Selina over as well.

"Mr. Wayne." The one with dark hair and pale skin rose to his feet to shake his hand. His eyes flickered to Selina and Bruce's observation skills told him that this man knew who Selina was. Selina was deliberately mock-coy about the scenario. Her movements of fake subtlety would fool any unsuspecting eye, but Bruce knew better. He knew her better.

"And you are?" He took Selina's hand and she introduced herself.

"Maggie Reed." 

"Lovely to be in acquaintance with you, Miss Reed. My name is Calvin Pierson. Obviously, I work for Luddite Corps and we're very interested in merging with your boyfriend's company." Obviously, he knew that wasn't her name. In fact, he knew Bruce knew it wasn't her name, but he also knew that this was all for public appearance. Syndicate wanted their members dead to society, so fake aliases were a necessity. Bruce was unsure if the other three members in the room were with Syndicate or if they were genuine investors unknowingly working with a member of one of the most secretive and successful crime operations in the world. They seemed fairly unsuspecting and gave no indications both threw body and verbal language that they knew a ruse was in play.

"It is to my understanding that you two are engaged to be married." Pierson twiddled his fingers against the table and Bruce tried to refrain from closing his eyes to see if he was tapping in Morse code. Selina's hands drifted under the table and slyly tapped as well. Bruce knew if this was going to work, he was going to have to offer her more trust than he was comfortable giving, especially since so much of this plan required his being unassuming. Instead of counting out the beats, he simply spoke with the regular investors about the plans for Wayne Enterprises and how they were moving on to develop technological advancement in the weaponry department. He used the excuse of the US military, of course, and that's how it would be written off. That decoy would only last so long before another "truth" would be eventually assumed, but it was a risk he'd have to take. 

"Yes, we are." Bruce nodded. "It's been a longer time coming than most know."

"Ah, yes, keeping relationships out of the public eye is always a good thing." Pierson nodded, but continued tapping. Bruce showed no signs of noticing the action.

"We're having our ceremony this Saturday if you'd like to come by." Selina smiled and Bruce tried not to choke. "Wayne Enterprises has always been about family and since you and Luddite Corps are merging with us, we'd like to welcome you to that family."

_Saturday?_

How the hell were they supposed to get an entire ceremony together come Saturday?

Pierson grinned and it was almost maniacal, but Bruce was convinced he was letting himself think that in order to remind himself just how evil these people were. "Yes, and we'd like to welcome  _you_ to the Luddite family."

He knew that stopping Syndicate could very well tarnish the Wayne family name in the process and as much as that bothered his guilty conscience, he knew the importance of the name paled in comparison to what it really stood for. 

He also knew that a lot of this mission was self-serving in ways his team would never know and maybe they'd hate him since they'd never know the real truth. That was a burden they would bear and it weighed on him as well, but as he essentially sold away the good name of Wayne Enterprises to Selina's contact through the Syndicate, he knew he was doing the right thing. 


	4. Blindsided

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The surprises just keep coming.

_**December 28th; 12:30 pm** _

_**Clock King's Apartment** _

 

The issue with going about things through the legitimate channels was how much time that consumed. Paperwork, logistics, proper jurisdictions... It all took time and while in the grand scheme of it all, protocol kept the world in an essential order, they didn't have that kind of precious time. If she'd just thrown on her Batgirl suit and swung over, Barbara would have been able to get right into the apartment without trying for a warrant, which meant she wouldn't have had to go through an entire presentation in front of a judge that took time to find. Then, she wouldn't have had to legally assemble a crew of  _some_ kind, because this could be classified as a terrorist attack, which meant she wouldn't have had to do  _another_ briefing. Plus, if it was just her, she wouldn't have had to worry about several other lives. 

So that's how it took roughly 3 hours for her to finally get inside the apartment of Clock King, aka William Tockman, who'd escaped from Blackgate years before in a blazing fire caused by Firefly. Tockman depended on time and the only way to beat him was typically involving a variable that couldn't be attributed to time, something sporadic. In other words, it helped not to be predictable and unfortunately, law enforcement had a tendency to be very predictable. 

When they cautiously walked into the apartment, the first thing anyone with working eyes could notice was that it was completely empty with the exception of a nightstand in front of the window. Sure enough, the digital clock was still facing outside. While she knew Tockman probably hadn't lived here since before he was originally sent to prison, she still expected more. Particularly, she expected a lot of clocks, because while the criminals of Gotham were thorough and dangerous, they were also incredibly tacky and corny.

"Don't touch  _anything_." She ordered and while she wasn't a superior officer or anything like that, they knew to listen to her. CSI cautiously walked ahead of her and took pictures of every nook and cranny in the empty room. 

"There's nothing in here, Detective." A gruff officer by the name of Hank Green muttered. 

"Hmm." She didn't answer him and instead drifted down an empty hall into the only bedroom. It was still dark and she was almost afraid of what would happen if she turned on the lights so she squinted and relied on a flashlight to investigate. While still fuller than the living room, all the bedroom had was an empty mattress. In the center of the mattress was a small wristwatch. Putting rubber gloves on first, Barbara gently lifted the watch off the bed to examine it. It was leather and had a regular plain face with the exception of the missing number 4. 

_Interesting._

Before she could determine the significance of this, she was ripped from her thoughts by a familiar voice.

"Honey, I'm home!" 

"Jesus Christ!" She jumped and spun around to shine her flashlight on none other than a smug looking Nightwing. The billowing curtain behind him indicated he'd silently slipped through like the acrobat that he was.

"Everything okay in there, Gordon?" One of the CSI agents called from the other room.

"Yep, everything's fine!" She tried to sound like she wasn't just startled out of her wits. "Just a stupid bird."

Nightwing pouted and placed his hand over his heart in feigned offense. "Ouch."

"Dick!" She smacked his chest.

"Uh, easy on the real names there, BG." He corrected in a harsh whisper.

"Yeah, I wasn't." She smirked.

"Ha. Ha. Never heard that one before. I think you're losing your touch."

"You wish. What the hell are you doing here?" She glanced back towards the sound of busy chatter in the other room. "You're kind of toeing the line here, aren't you?"

"Bruce called me and asked me for help."

"Yes I know that, thank you, but what are you doing  _here_ right  _now_?"

Even in the dim lighting she could see he was blushing. "Oh, well would you believe me if I said I wanted to see the GCPD's new analyst kick ass in heels? I heard she's super hot."

She rolled her eyes, but couldn't resist smiling anyway. "What's the real deal, Dork Wonder?"

"Truthfully, I was following a lead from that bank robbery I stopped earlier today. Two Face got away, before you ask."

She closed her mouth, because that was her next question, but reopened it when she found another. "Do you think it's connected to the bombing that happened?"

"According to some intel courtesy of the latest and greatest Robin, Harvey had a package delivered here earlier today. I was... Well, I heard you were here and I was... Well, I wanted to make sure things were sound before you guys got here."

She wrinkled her brow. "Here? The only thing on sight is the clock and that was here before the attack. That and..." 

Both their gazes fell to the small watch in her hand. Why would Harvey Dent own such a used and worn out piece of junk? Also, why would he ship it to the address of a man who needed pretty much everything  _but_ extra clocks. Sure enough, when she turned the watch over in her hands, a small "HD" could be seen scratched into the back. 

"What time is it?" She whispered.

"12:34, why?" 

"Even a broken clock is right twice." She mumbled and ran a thumb across the face of the stilled watch.

"The twice thing is significant. Probably a nod to Two Face. I never knew Clock King and Two Face to be so creative though."

"They're not." She shook her head. Barbara found the duo to be an ill-matched pair in general, actually. "Why take us here, though?"

"I don't know, but I think they're done in there." Dick nodded towards the door. "So, I'm going to make like I did when you were in college, and slip out the window."

Her lips twitched at the memory(s). "I suppose I'll be seeing quite a bit of you."

"Yeah." He nodded and smiled. "And hey, let me know when you see Oracle. I want to ask her to be my date to Bruce Wayne's wedding."

"Very- Wait, what wedding?" Her eyes bugged out and she looked at a now empty window.

_What did that conniving cat rope Bruce into this time?_

Before Barbara had much time to ponder this thought, a loud crack from the other room, followed by several sharp shouts, startles her into action.

"Fuck." 

* * *

_**December 28th; 4:05 pm** _

_**Wayne Manor** _

 

"I wonder what Bruce wanted to see us about. Just us, too." Tim tried to play it off like he wasn't gnawing at the bits for some responsibility. 

Stephanie patted her boyfriend's hand. "Relax there, Timbo, I wouldn't get my hopes too high."

"And why's that? You don't think we deserve a mission of our own?"

"I don't think Bruce thinks that." She shrugged. "I mean, he's leaving us to be babysat by Dick and Babs essentially. I'm sure we're stopping some B or C list villain of the week. Y'know, something that's a little too lowgrade for the big kids to deal with."

"I don't appreciate your pessimism." He grumbled. "He didn't call Jason to be here."

"Yeah." She snorted. "Would you? He'd just kill whatever Bruce sends him to do."

Tim didn't want to admit how good of a point that was, but he did witness Jason shoot a plant before and that was a pretty low moment. 

Bruce walked in with Selina in tow. Tim wasn't used to seeing the two of them walk about in the light of day together, but he guessed he should probably get used to it the sight if the two were supposed to be a believable couple. They were definitely always something, and Tim didn't disapprove of it the way Barbara did, but he was certainly skeptical. Truthfully, Selina wasn't always trustworthy and did sell them out quite a few times in sticky situations. Whether it be animal magnetism or a deeper tether, Bruce always seemed to come back to the slinky cat.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I asked you two to meet us." Bruce nodded at them respectively.

Stephanie raised an eyebrow at him. She knew Bruce fairly well, but not as well as the Robins did or Barbara did. She'd been around the least out of everyone, but this also meant she didn't have a blind desire to follow him down the rabbit hole. She hadn't gotten involved because she loved Batman. She got involved completely separate from the Bat-team and just wanted to stop her father. Of course, she eventually joined up and here they were now, but she'd never been quick to kiss his ass the way Tim always resorted to. She loved her boyfriend and admired his loyalty, but he idolized the Bat and while he was very logical as a person, Bruce Wayne could almost do no wrong to him.

"You have that look on your face where you're about to say something neither of us like."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I've got an assignment for you..."

She frowned at Tim's obvious eagerness. This wasn't going to be good.

"Yeah, and why aren't we in costume for this "briefing" or whatever this is?" 

Tim's shoulders slumped a little as that realization dawned on him too. "Yeah... Wait, is this an assignment that requires the use of our aliases?"

"Kind of. It's highly important that this goes right." Bruce added. "In fact, if not executed and planned perfectly, the entire operation falls apart. No one on the team except you two has the eye for detail and resources for this task. I need organization, style, and discretion."

"But also a lot of publicity." Selina cut in with a smirk dancing across all her features. She didn't appear nearly as guilty looking as Bruce did. "We need you to plan our wedding."

Maybe Stephanie didn't give Bruce enough credit, because he did look earnestly guilty putting this fairly insulting task onto Tim after all the hard work he'd put in as Robin. He just wanted Bruce to be proud enough of him to let him off the leash a little and the man looked like someone who realized he'd let his son down in that respect, at least for now. Tim, rightfully, was quite offended by his part in the puzzle. This wasn't his first year on the job; not even close. Dick would get to wear the cowl, Barbara would run the team, and Jason would still get to do whatever the hell he wanted and all Tim got to do was choose between a band or a DJ for a fake wedding.

"What do you mean  _no one_ else can do this?" Tim snapped. "Babs has a million more resources than me."

"Barbara is going to be very busy."

"And I'm not?"

"That's not what I meant." Bruce pinched the top of her nose. "I just mean she's got a lot on her plate between working at the GCPD, being Oracle to both us and the Birds of Prey, and making her appearances as Batgirl when she can."

"And Jason?"

"Seriously?" Selina cocked an eyebrow.

"Fine. Dick's always been more of a ceremonial person than me, though."

"Tim, please." Bruce looked like he was ready to beg. "I need this to go 100% smoothly on Saturday. You can order whatever you want as long as it looks official. Make sure plenty of news outlets are there, but not enough where it becomes a press screening. Syndicate representatives are going to be present at the wedding. I've already had Barbara hack into various websites to keep up the appearance that Selina and I have been secretly dating for the past 10 months. This has got to be convincing if I'm going to be accepted."

"You know." Tim slid off the couch. "I'm starting to see why Babs thought this was such a bad idea. You're really going all in for this, aren't you? And you're a little too eager to let him." He narrowed his eyes at Selina.

"I'd say I'm an eager beaver, but I'm just a cat." She shrugged innocently. "Oh, and make it for Saturday, okay? I've always wanted a New Years Eve Wedding."

"Seem more like a snake to me." Stephanie mumbled under her breath. "But, we'll plan the wedding. I think it might actually be fun."

"This isn't meant to be an actual party. It's a secret operation that--"

"--That is extremely lame and we might as well have fun planning." She tugged Tim's arm to guide him away. "Come on, let's see which hot popstars will play for Bruce Wayne's wedding."

"Fuck." Tim sighed. "You were right."

Bruce flopped on the couch when they shuffled out of the room. Selina knelt in front of him. 

"You gonna be able to let them go, big guy?"

He let out a heavy breath. "I just hope they're ready."

"They are." She nodded carefully. "You raised them."

* * *

_**December 29th; 12:34 am** _

_**The Outskirts of Gotham** _

Jason belched and he winced as the immediate stench of liquor brushed back with the chilled wind. 

_Okay, maybe you had a teeny bit too much to drink tonight, Jay. Just a bid. Wow, hefty bit._

The cold Gotham nights never sobered him the way they used to when he'd first started, when he had a stitch of optimism left in his bones. Now, he just moved for the sake of moving and the rest was downed with alcohol and cynicism. 

 _The healthy approach_.

Still, he flipped his hood up in an attempt to cover his head from the light snowfall and reached into his pocket for a cigarette. He smiled lazily when he found what he'd been looking for and toyed the cigarette around in his hand for a moment before trying to retrieve his lighter. He frantically dug in both sweatshirt pockets and jean pockets before cursing himself. Surely, he left the lighter back at the bar. 

_If you hadn't gotten yourself kicked out, you could have gone back and gotten it._

Jason didn't take too well to people looking at him or the gray streak in his hair funny when he was inebriated. To his credit, he never picked fights with nice guys. They were always punks he spotted on the walls of the GCPD's wanted list. Those were the only bars he went to, not just because he could knock a few deserving heads together, but because the bartenders really never cared who they served. For as long as they were notorious for serving and harboring criminals, the alcohol kept on pouring for anyone who had the change.

"Fuck." He heard himself mutter and continued to trek under the dim streetlights. 

He wasn't sleeping with a random body tonight, so he'd have to settle for somehow finding his way back to the Manor. He liked hopping from bed to bed a lot better, because at least he got the sense that it wasn't charity. He brought something very fitting to the table in his one night stands and he or she would always agree, even when they woke up to an empty bed in the morning. 

He popped the unlit cigarette in his mouth and silently hoped he'd come across Firefly or Firestorm on his way home. He wasn't sure he could drunkenly take sleeping in the Manor without having smoked a bit to calm his nerves. Unlike his siblings, he couldn't wait for Bruce to get out of dodge. Sure, he hoped he was okay and lived it up with Catwoman, but his increasing time spent with him lately made him uneasy. There was still the matter that Joker was still out there and that Jason was always being forced to comply to Bruce's rules, even when he wasn't fighting alongside the team. It was exhausting, really.

"Need a light?"

"Actually, yeah--" Jason turned to face his definition of a good samaritan, but was bashed across the face and knocked out cold on the concrete beneath him.

Slowly, the shadowed individual dragged him into the alley. Snow continued to fall peacefully.

"That's three." The figure whispered. 

 


	5. Pre-Wedding Jitters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With all the anxiety bouncing about, you'd think it was a real wedding.

_**December 30th; 6:30 pm** _

_**Giuseppe's Restaurant** _

 

"So, uh, why are we all here?" Stephanie asked abruptly. It wasn't that she  _didn't_ like eating at one of the most extravagant places in town, but with all the last minute preparation and serious planning they had to commit to, it did seem a bit ridiculous to drop everything and go out for some gnocchi. Alfred was rather huffy about their going out as well, taking it as a dig at his own cooking. 

"Rehearsal dinner." Tim answered simply while he scanned the menu. "I'm thinking of getting one of those little flatbread pizzas."

"Okay, cool, but I think we're missing a little something."

"What's that?" Barbara asked just as absently as Tim. "The veal here is to die for."

"See, I'm more of a chicken parm kind of guy, myself, but I'm shooting for pasta tonight." Dick added from her other side. "Anyone want to split an appetizer?"

"You'll just eat it all anyway." Tim scowled. 

"Guys!" Stephanie smacked the table and all eyes shot to her. "The bride and groom?"

"They're at the church." Barbara answered as if it was obvious.

"And why aren't we?"

"Because otherwise we wouldn't get to eat." Dick shrugged. "You see, Steph, whenever we do missions like this, it's all about appearances. If Bruce was actually here, we'd all be sitting here until the restaurant closed and forced to talk about mission-related conversation without reaping the benefits of our situation."

"Where does Bruce think we are?"

"Casing Gotham." 

"Isn't it dangerous that we aren't?"

"Jason's got it covered." Tim smiled. "He texted me earlier that it's his "wedding gift" to keep an eye on things. I don't think he really understands the concept of a wedding gift."

"The press might be kind of suspicious that we're not there."

"We're getting the dinner part sorted out." Barbara scoffed. "Stephanie, do you really think I'd be sitting here ready to stuff my face with copious amounts of spaghetti if I felt our cover was presently in any harms way?"

Stephanie paused. Barbara did have a point there. The older girl was never one to be too rash and was about twenty steps before everyone else at most times. She wouldn't be surprised if Barb had a police scanner going on in her purse right now. After all, crimefighting did consume both her day and night life. Where she found the time to sleep or eat was amazing to Stephanie. If anyone could physically add hours onto the day, it was Barbara Gordon.

"Relax, Steph." Dick smirked. "Babs and I had this system figured out for  _years_. It's foolproof."

His boyish charm made it irresistible to smile back. How Babs managed to keep him at arms length was beside her. She didn't know whether to be proud or to ask her to up the prescription of her glasses. Then, of course, Stephanie took one glance at the way the original Batgirl looked at Dick Grayson and it was apparent that it was certainly not an easy feat for her to maintain. Tim was naturally oblivious to the glances they'd been stealing across the table all night, but Stephanie was not. Any sound heterosexual woman should have a crush on the guy. He was likable. 

"I kind of think it's good we're all together anyway." Tim nodded. "You know, without the couple-to-be present."

"Agreed." Barbara said. "You guys know I don't like any of this."

"From what I've heard, I can't say I blame you." The former Robin sighed. 

"Something's fishy." Stephanie pursed her lips. "I feel like our girl is holding out on something."

"Agreed." Tim mirrored Barbara's earlier response. "So what's our move?"

"Well, as the most veteran to all of this, I vote that we eat our pasta and then at a later and more enclosed time and space, we listen to the plan that the illustrious Oracle has more than likely already concocted."

Barbara cocked an eyebrow at him. "What makes you think she has a plan?"

Dick rested his chin on his hand and flashed her a knowing grin. "Because Oracle is a genius. She always has a plan."

Stephanie smiled at what appeared to be a blush creeping across the redhead's cheeks. Tim raised an eyebrow in confusion at the atmospheric change in the room. He was an exceptional detective, but God, was the boy clueless when it came to anything related to love. Stephanie should know; she was dating him.

"Alright, Grayson. Maybe you're right about that." 

* * *

_**December 31st; 10:08 am** _

_**Wayne Manor** _

 

"You know, sir, I must say, this is not how I expected your wedding day to come about." Alfred sighed. "I do wish you would have enlisted me rather than Master Timothy to complete the preparations. I have a burning fear that the utensil patterns are going to clash."

Bruce sighed as his butler/lifelong friend adjusted his bow tie. "I'm sorry this isn't what you expected, Alfred. This isn't what I expected either. I know Tim wasn't overjoyed by this assignment--"

"--You made a superhero plan a party. Of course he wasn't going to like it."

"--And I know he's feeling as though he's outgrown his position as Robin--"

"--Master Richard was around his age when he stepped down from the title. And Master Jason--"

"--Yes, I know, but this isn't the time for him to be branching off on his own. With The Syndicate operating underground and my going deep undercover, Gotham just needs to see Batman and Robin operating normally nightly. Who knows who's in cahoots with these guys? It's not the time for soul-searching."

"Is it ever?"

"Alfred, I won't be here to catch him if he falls. I can't... I can't put that on Dick either. He needs to wait."

This time, Alfred nodded in understanding. "I understand that, sir, but I doubt Master Tim does."

"I'll talk to him after the wedding." He promised. "Until then, I really need to sell this thing."

"Ah yes, pretending to be head over heels in love with Selina Kyle; what a trying task this will be for you."

"I can hear the snark in your voice, and let me just say, it is not appreciated."

"Noted, sir, but do you think it's such a good idea that you're blindly trusting Miss Kyle so much? And that none of it has to do with some very real feelings that exist beneath the surface?"

"Selina is a good person deep down." Bruce nodded in approval at his reflection. "Unfortunately for me, it can be very deep at times. This mission requires unrelenting trust on all ends for it to work. I've got to remain as in the dark as possible if I want to appear elusive enough for these guys. I've perused Barbara's research and there have been claims that they psycho-analyze newcomers. They do extensive background checks and while I trust Barbara's hacking abilities, I'm afraid it won't be enough to compete with them. Even still, I have to trust that the team will be able to handle things in Gotham, follow Selina Kyle into the dark, and trust myself that I don't allow this to become too personal."

"Do you trust any of that to be realistic?"

"I trust the team." Bruce nodded. "I'd trust them with my life, even though that's not saying much."

"You made the joke before I could, sir." He smiled. "Please come back from all of this sane though. I want for this to be a very real day for you at some point, no ruses or setups, just family and friends."

"I'll do my best."

* * *

_**December 31st; 12:13 pm** _

_**St. Paul's Church** _

 

"Where the  _hell_ is Jason?" Bruce growled at Dick as he stormed into the waiting room where Sunday school classes were typically held. "It's already quarter after!"

"Well, don't you look handsome?" Dick responded cheerfully. "Those frown lines really accentuate your cufflinks."

"He's been really flaky lately." Tim rolled his eyes. "He didn't even guarantee he'd come."

Bruce pinched the top of his nose. "Selina has four bridesmaids and I only have 3 groomsmen."

"Thanks for coming, by the way." Dick nodded at Clark.

"Anything to help." The Kyptonian returned the gesture. "I was kind of hoping this was all secretly legit. though."

Bruce rolled his eyes. "Focus. What the hell am I supposed to do about this?"

"Well, I'm walking... Pamela Isley down the aisle? That a friend of Selina's?" He asked.

"Something like that." Bruce grimaced. 

"Does Harley-- I mean, Harleen really need to be here?" Dick asked. "Can't it just be me and Babs, Tim and Steph, and Clark and Iv--Pamela?"

"Would _you_ like to be the one to offset her around all these civilians?"

"Um, yeah... What about Alfred?" Tim asked.

"Alfred?" Clark turned to the butler. "I think it's appropriate you have a hand in this, even if it is all some ceremonial plan that Bruce has yet to explain to me."

"It would be my pleasure, sir."

* * *

_**December 31st; 12:25 pm** _

_**St. Paul's Church** _

 

"Always a bridesmaid, never a bride." Harley sighed as she looked into the mirror.

"She didn't give you a plus one either, Harl?" Ivy smirked. "No puddin' allowed?"

Barbara walked into the room to see the two ladies in gowns that matched her own. She still marveled at Tim and Steph for coordinating everything to fit everyone and go as smoothly as it was for a 3 day planned ceremony. She guessed the name (and credit card numbers of) Bruce Wayne was thrown around quite a bit to make it happen, but all in all, she was still impressed. What she was  _not_ impressed by were Selina's all-star choices at bridesmaids. It would actually be one thing if this was a remotely real wedding, because it could be argued that these were kind of her friends, but for an undercover operation? It was ridiculous to have the likes of Harley and Poison Ivy so close to an organization that fundamentally controls them whether they know it or not. Well, it controls the impact of their actions and the timing as well. If word got to Joker about the Syndicate and he got involved, that meant terrible news for everyone. 

"Can I talk to the bride for a moment?" She knew neither of these women knew who  _she_ was, but knowing who they were still made her incredibly cautious. She'd told them that she and Stephanie got so close to Selina through Bruce and that they were forced to be hush-hush about the relationship out of respect for their friends. She wondered how Selina even got them to agree to doing this without any casualties. Then again, she wasn't so sure specifics were ever exchanged.

"Sure. I'd call ya "Red", but that's her name." Harley gestured to Ivy, who rolled her eyes.

"I mean, you could call her by her name."

"Yeah, but "Barbara" is such an old sounding name for a pretty face! Who were ya named after?"

"My psychotic mother." Barbara deadpanned.

There was a moment's pause before Harley and Ivy burst into shared laughter. "Us, too!"

"All right there, ladies, if you'll excuse us." Selina smirked and guided Barbara out of the room. "What's up Red 2.0?"

"Don't call me that." The younger woman chastised. 

"Was your mom really crazy?"

"Well, she certainly wasn't stable." Barbara continued. "Anyway, do you mind telling me why the  _hell_ you picked two of Gotham's most heinous criminals to be in the wedding? You know there are a ton of actual civilians out there who can't defend themselves, right?"

"Golly gee, Batgirl, this is most definitely my first rodeo, after all. I did not know that."

"Don't be cute. I'm still not positive you're not in this for some profit you're trying to scam your way into."

Selina sighed. "Don't you ever just trust people? Let your hair down and live a little?"

"I know you stand to earn a lot of money from being married into the Wayne family. I know that minister is  _not_ a fake minister. You'll very much be married after today. I know that you're in bed with Clock King and Harvey. Don't interrupt. I don't know if you helped orchestrate the bombings in Star City and at Gotham General, but I do know you set off the bomb in Tockman's apartment while me and the GCPD were there, hence the scratch marks on the windowsill, erasing some kind of evidence of your involvement, I presume, because despite my belief that your feelings for Bruce can be very real, Selina, you've always been out for yourself. It's all you've ever known."

"I'm not working  _with_ them. Quite opposite, actually."

"Maybe, but you know stuff that you aren't telling us about."

"Jesus, that could mean anything. I am on the dark side, after all."

"There was something about that apartment you didn't want me knowing about, Selina. You were involved some way along the line, maybe involving how you got caught into the ropes of Syndicate in the first place?"

She pursed her lips in an attempt to be coy, but Barbara was far too experienced at analyzing body language to know Selina was annoyed she'd been caught. "You really think you know me, don't you?"

"I don't know you at all." She admitted. "I do know I don't trust you, but I'll have to."

"Oh yeah?"

"Because you're going to go through with all of this according to plan... With a few adjustments."

"Is this what you and the B team discussed over dinner last night? Yeah, I know things too, Babsy."

"We both know Bruce isn't planning on coming out of this mission alive." She snapped. "He's ready to sacrifice himself for all of this."

"You think you know him too."

"Again, I know you care for him deep down. I just need it to be enough for you to bring him back alive and so that these bastards aren't. Selina, you don't have to walk away with just the fortune."

A brief confusion flickered across her dark eyes, but settled into an uneasiness. She'd expected a threat of some sort from the original Batgirl, something she could take. It would be a close fight, but Selina always played dirty unlike her straight-laced opponent. However, what Barbara Gordon was insinuating made her feel a whole other layer of discomfort. It was uncomfortable how... settling the thought was. It was easier to cut people off and look after herself as she'd been forced to since she was a child. The idea of actually finishing Syndicate and walking away with everything seemed like a fairytale too idealistic for a brain like her. It seemed impossible, but reachable.

"Looks like you will have to trust me, then."

"And you'll have to trust me not to hack into the government database and annul your marriage altogether." She shrugged. 

Selina smirked as she did. Girl had moxy. 

"Let's get this show on the road then." 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And next... The ceremony! Sorry if this chapter was a little slower, but I needed to lay the groundwork for the rest of the story. A lot of these exchanges will be worth a lot more later down the line I promise.


	6. Nuptials

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wedding goes about as well as you'd expect Batman and Catwoman's wedding to go.

_**December 31st; 1:00 pm** _

_**St. Paul's Church** _

 

"Ever thought you'd be Selina Kyle's maid of honor?" Dick whispered as he and Barbara walked arm in arm down the aisle. It had been a successful turnout. Both surveyed the area with broad smiles plastered on their faces for show. Several League members were in attendance. They were pretty sure Barry Allen was crying tears of joy already in the front row. Most of the guests were unaware that this was a ruse of any kind, in part to how believable it was that no one knew Bruce was seeing anyone. Also, Selina Kyle seemed like the type of a brooding, tortured soul with her quick wit and own inner demons. It also helped that she looked absolutely stunning in her gown, which Babs could vouch after her confrontation with the Cat. 

"She only chose me, because Bruce chose you." She gritted. "And to keep the other sirens from fighting over the title."

"How was your little talk?"

"I think you're right." She muttered. "I think she does care about him."

"I hope that's enough."

"First she decides to marry Bruce, then I'm her bridesmaid, now the fate of Gotham or even the world weighs on her loyalty. This is proving to be a day I'd never thought I'd have to live."

"We'll be fine. Is the plan still a go?"

"Yes."

"Your dad is staring at me." Dick nodded with a bright smile at Commissioner Gordon, who returned the gesture with a solemn nod of his own. He didn't stop looking curiously at him though. 

"You think that's bad? You should see how he's going to look when we dance."

"Oh, we're dancing together, huh?"

"It's a good way to survey the room, Dick."

"Mhmm, and you can't dance with anyone else  _because_?"

She'd smack or nudge him if they weren't on display in front of hundreds of people. Instead, she turned it back on him.

"Do you want me to?"

They approached the alter and just before they went their separate ways, he leaned into her ear. 

"Never."

Choosing to ignore the chill up her spine, Barbara stepped up the stairs carefully and framed herself across from Dick on the top stairs closest to Selina. She watched Alfred and Harley, Clark and Ivy, and Tim and Steph follow suit and join them up there as well.

Bruce glanced around the church with the constant anxiety of danger that gnawed at him from the moment this plan was generated. He knew it would be unrealistic to have none of his colleagues at the ceremony and while he considered himself much more the type to elope, the press needed to be at front row of this spectacle in order to make it accessible for members of the Syndicate to see. In marrying Selina Kyle, he was opening himself up to this new life. He'd be at their mercy until he destroyed them. In honor of his mother and father, he had to do it. There was too much at stake not to.

Any thoughts of what he'd do if he met Syndicate's leader vanquished when she walked into the room. The music played, but it was very distant to his direct consciousness. The only thing he could seem to focus on was the display down the aisle. She seemed too far away, but so close at the same time. Her short hair was pinned beautifully and framed her face. Even through the veil, her green eyes were bright and absent of their usual mischievousness. Instead, they were clear and honest, or maybe that was the role she was playing. It didn't matter to him, because the way they trained on his was electrifying. For a brief second, he was able to escape the madness of the charade that both had to prepare themselves for. He knew the kids weren't thrilled about the amount of trust required, but he knew Selina Kyle and the kids weren't aware how she would have to trust him as much as he trusted her. By the smile she flashed him, real and honest in the grandest light, he resigned to believing her. Maybe she didn't always deserve it, but did he? He would die with secrets that his kids might be uncovering for years after his death-- whether it come sooner or later. Did that deem him untrustworthy?

When she stepped onto the alter across from him and he took her hands in his, he realized that while the wedding was false in most ways, they were binding themselves to each other. It might not be forever, but the consequences of their actions could last that long. All the same, it seemed as if it was just the two of them and while he'd never verbalized it, moments where it felt that way made the most sense to him.

The priest began and Bruce tuned out mostly until he was asked to speak. When it came to the vows, he was prepared to read a traditional one, but naturally Selina (known to everyone as Maggie Reed) was more into going the untraditional route. It fully defined her in a way: untraditional.

"I wrote this on the back of a napkin from the place we first met." He deciphered that to mean it was a napkin from the diner across the street of the museum where he first caught her trying to snatch an expensive heirloom in the shape of a cat. 

"You came into my life when I'd least expected and as per usual with the great things that enter my life, I tried to push you away." He'd caught her off guard, which earned him a swift scratch across the face-- an old tell of Catwoman in her early days. 

"But you stayed." It didn't deter him from recovering the heirloom. 

"And since then, you've always made me want to be a better person." He stopped trying to figure out the hidden meaning to her words and just listened.

"Marriage is about having a foundation of love, trust, compassion, loyalty and faith. None of which I had much experience with before you snuck out of the shadows and brought in the light. I didn't believe in any of it before and it used to seem naive to ever want to believe in it, but now I do and I know that while we live in a world where the world tries to end regularly, I know I have you and me to believe in. Forever."

"Forever." He repeated back.

The priest asked Bruce to speak and he started to pull out the words he and Alfred perfected the night before, but shoved it back in his jacket pocket. 

"Maggie." He began and stared into her eyes. "I'm not as great with words as you are and could never hope to be, but I do know this: I didn't believe I was worthy of any of this." He gestured to the crowd around him and then to her. "But your strength, intelligence, forgiveness and wit has pulled me out of whatever fog I grew up living in. I never believed in soulmates and in a way I still don't, but we are meant to be together in some capacity. I'd be lost several times over if you hadn't crawled under my skin and climbed your way into my heart. You're my partner through and through and I would die for you, live for you, and live with you if that's what it takes. I want to give you everything you've given me and more, every day of our lives."

The room was very still and raw with emotion. He wondered if anything he'd said was over the top, but the sincere smile on the bride to be's face was a good indicator that they'd both hit a sweet spot. It was meaningful to the both of them, pledging their trust to each other, and indicated that such loyalty would be an appeasing tool for Syndicate to play with. The only worry that crept up his spine was the idea that they might actually test it a little too hard. Even though the mission came first, there was truth to what he said. He knew there was truth in her words too, but they were already in deep.

"You may kiss the bride." The priest said at least and Bruce beamed before dipping Selina into a warm kiss. Everyone stood to their feet and applause lit up the entire church along with several suggestive whistles. He suspected the speedsters.

"You think we sold it?" He whispered.

"I bought it." She smiled back before kissing him again. He scooped her up bridal style and walked down the aisle while everyone continued laughing joyfully and clapping. As he walked by his groomsmen, it pained him to see the somber look of his oldest friend. They knew in many ways, this was goodbye for now. He smiled earnestly at Alfred, knowing the man was concerned he would lose his mind over there-- or worse. The brief exchange of nods between them reminded Bruce that it was important to make it back, if just to quell the fears of his mentor, friend, and father-figure. Next, he looked to Dick, who wasn't looking, because he didn't know to look. He knew him well enough to know that he would resent Bruce for not telling him to look, but he'd tell him that later. Bruce smiled fondly at the young man's profile.

_You've got this._

The press swarmed them when they exited the church and Bruce laughed his best "Bruce Wayne" laugh before setting Selina inside the limo.

"Bruce! How's it feel to trade in the bachelor life for married life?"

"When did you know she was the one?"

"Many people are taking bets on when this marriage will be over. Thoughts?"

"Did you get a prenup?"

"Where's the honeymoon?"

 _"Russia"_ He thought.

"I'm going to go celebrate with my wife. I'll be glad to take any questions at a later time." He smiled before climbing into the limo beside her. He turned to comment how well that all went, but was interrupted before he could even begin.

"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Wayne." Pierson grinned wickedly. "Or shall I say, Bruce and  _Selina_ Wayne."

Both had to pretend they were shocked that Calvin learned her real name. No doubt Syndicate had deep resources and they'd wanted to gain a bit of suspicion in Selina's name change. They wanted them to think she was trying to hide away. By hiding, it provoked someone to come and find you.

"What's this all about?" Bruce asked. "We have a reception to get to."

"I'm afraid I'll have to cut the party short." His smile became even more Grinch-like. "We've got a plane to catch. I see big things for you two."

* * *

 

 

_**December 31st; 2:30 pm** _

_**En route to Wayne Manor** _

Gordon rode over to Wayne Manor with the kids, squished in the backseat between Stephanie and Tim while Barbara sat up front and Dick drove. Each were chatting about the ceremony and how no one ever thought they'd see the day that Bruce Wayne got married. Babs was in the middle of an anecdote about it when her phone beeped with an incoming text.

_Bruce: Have fun tonight._

She wrinkled her brow before typing back quickly. She was careful about her words as he seemed to be.

_Barbara: What's up?_

_Bruce: Honeymoon is starting early. Cover for me. Keep an eye on the kids. Make Dick help. Be good._

She couldn't even say anything out loud with her dad in the car. Bruce knew this. He planned this all along. She glanced over at an unknowing Dick Grayson and felt a lump in her throat at the thought of how crushed he was going to be when he found out that the grand goodbye Bruce planned was never going to happen. Tim was babbling about happily in the backseat and she knew that reaction might just be worse, considering he and Bruce were kind of fighting. She guessed in retrospect that if a place as covert and possessive as Syndicate got in touch, there wouldn't be any time for theatrics, but she guessed they had more time than this. Everything was rolled into motion and she hadn't even gotten to plant her newest brand of survellince on Bruce.

She guessed that 50% of a plan was better than nothing, though, even if it wouldn't do much more than to establish peace of mind for those back home and provide a "plan z" kind of solution if any imminent danger was present.  

Having the startling feeling that this might be the last time she ever communicated with Bruce Wayne for a while, she rolled over what she was going to say in her mind and settled on a simple and unassuming text that Syndicate couldn't question.

_Barbara: Have fun. Be safe. We all love you._

"Everything okay, Barb?" Gordon reached forward and touched her arm gently.

"Oh, yeah. Just tired." She was glad he couldn't see her face from where he sat, because she knew she couldn't fool him if he could. 

_"We're alone."_

* * *

**_December 31st 5:45 pm_ **

**_Wayne Manor_ **

 

"I will say, we did a pretty fine job planning this thing." Tim nodded at the festivities around them. Wayne Manor was an easy venue to plan for, given its size and how often they'd held large galas there. It was even nicer than the church with all the upkeep Alfred scrutinized over. 

"I can't believe you actually got Panic! At the Disco to play." Stephanie smiled in awe in the direction of Brendan Urie, who was currently completely the final part of their cover of  _"Bohemian Rhapsody"_. 

"Literally, all I had to do was mention Bruce and I actually had to choose between big name artists. Everyone wanted to play this thing."

"The entertainment, food, drinks, decor... It's all perfect. I know you didn't want to do any of this, because it's demeaning and you're ready to take on big missions and all that jazz, but you have to admit, this was fun."

"It was fun, but only because I got to plan this with you." He nudged her. "You look very pretty, by the way."

"Almost as handsome as you look." She returned. "But hey, if the whole vigilante thing flops, at least we know we have a career in party planning."

"Alcohol and music. That's all anyone needs for a party."

"Now you sound like Jason."

"I'm worried about him. I figured he'd at least show up to the party."

"And Bruce?"

"Bruce hates parties." Tim scoffed. "I'm not surprised he and Selina aren't here. For all we know, they went ahead and got on with the mission without even telling us. That, or they went on a real honeymoon."

"You think that's why Babs seemed off in the car."

"Judging by the fact that something on her phone set her off, I'd say it's a safe bet." He reasoned. "I just wonder when she's going to tell Dick."

"Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because he didn't even say goodbye to you! He didn't give you anything to do or any hope to cling onto. He didn't give you the responsibility you deserve or the comfort you need. That's wrong and you have to feel ripped off. We might never... We might never see him again or even speak to him.

"Don't say that." He snapped and then eased at her surprised reaction. "I'm fine. Bruce will be too. I just have to suck up my pride and listen to Dick."

"If you say so."

* * *

 

**_December 31st 7:12 pm_ **

**_Wayne Manor_ **

 

"I never knew Bruce had so many friends." Gordon mused at the colorful lot of people that he was blissfully unaware were members of the Justice League.

"They are interesting." 

"Why didn't you mention you were a maid of honor for Bruce Wayne's wedding until the day before yesterday?"

_"Because that's when I found out."_

"Must have slipped my mind. I've been really busy, you know, with the case and all." 

"I've noticed." He nodded. "Amongst other things."

Of course, he was referring to her overtime crimefighting hours, but she didn't comment on it and instead took a sip from her drink. As much as she wanted it to contain alcohol, she knew dulled senses did not make for a good leader in crisis mode. She figured when her father found out about Batgirl, she wouldn't have to keep secrets from him anymore, but here they were, a million miles of knowledge apart and it still hurt to be dishonest with him. She had a duty to preserve other people's identities on top of keeping her father safe.

"You know, Barb, I was going to mention this sooner, but I'm getting old."

She snorted. "I'm a detective, Dad. And I may need glasses, but I'm not that blind."

"Funny." He retorted. "But, uh, I'm just saying I've been doing a lot of thinking about the future."

"Okay?"

"And I look at my department and I'm proud of it."

"You should be. You drained the swamp. Big time."

"Yes, but there are all these politicians and crooks that have been trying to slither there way back in and as much as I appreciate the helps from my constituents down there, I'm not sure I can trust them to maintain a clean department. Well, as clean as possible. They're friends, but I know their weaknesses and I don't think they have what it takes to run the show."

"Especially not Bullock." Babs shook her head. "I know he's sort of been like a rough-around-the-edges uncle to me, but he has a hard time resisting a good bribe."

"I know." He smiled. "Which is why the board thinks it's a good idea that you take over when I retire."

She swore she almost snapped her neck with how aggressively she turned to him. "Wha-What? No! I'm too young and inexperienced."

"We both know that isn't true."

"Why are you doing this now? Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong." He promised, but she didn't quite believe him and she got the sense he didn't even want to ask her this by his tone alone. "I was hesitant to tell you this, but you've more than earned it and more importantly, you're the only person I can trust to do it."

"I didn't realize this was a monarchy." 

"You have the _votes_ , Babs. I suggest you think about it. Think hard."

"Why do you sound so reluctant about it?"

"Because I never wanted you to become like me." He shrugged. "I want you to have a life."

"I have a life!"

"When was the last time you had a date?"

"That does not equate to having a life."

"Maybe not, but do you honestly have time for dates even if you wanted to go on them?"

"Well..."

"You're young. Be young sometimes."

* * *

 

**_December 31st 9:54 pm_ **

**_Wayne Manor_ **

 

"How about that dance?" Dick stuck out a hand that Barbara accepted and followed his lead as he pulled her into a calming sway. It wasn't enough to tackle the impossible situations that seemed to battle for dominance in her mind. Still, his presence was soothing in at least a minimal sense and anything helped. His shining eyes and knowing smile helped as well. Even though she didn't feel like it, she returned his glee with a softer version of her own, because dancing with him was probably the best thing that would happen to her all day.

"I can't believe this party is even still going."

"Really? Ain't no party like a Bat party."

"Even sans Batman."

"Especially sans Batman."

"Um, Dick..." She sighed. She'd somewhat been avoiding the elephant in the room all night, but she also never had a chance to be alone with him. He was the best out of all of them at handling the press and answering whatever questions they wanted to know. Without even knowing he had to cover for Bruce, he did with some teasing remarks about an early honeymoon upstairs or how they probably jetted off to a mysterious beautiful island to be alone. He was good like that.

"Oh man, your dad is really staring at me again."

"He might be looking at me now." She sighed, deciding that topic was easier to discuss at the moment. "He's afraid I'm going to end up a shriveled up raisin with no life."

"That's some good imagery, right there."

"Maybe he's right. I'm playing three roles: Barbara Gordon, Batgirl, and Oracle. It's a lot."

He nodded agreement. "Each more amazing than the other."

She smiled. "I'm serious. They're all very demanding girls. Each pulled in a different direction. They want to promote me to Commissioner someday."

"So what are you going to do?"

She sighed. "No idea."

"Yeah, whenever Bruce decides to drop the B costume on me, I'm not sure what I'll be doing either."

She looked at him sadly. "Dick, there's something--"

Suddenly, a loud shriek echoed over the music and was followed by rapidfire gunshots. Everyone instinctively ducked for cover and crawled to the tables to protection. Dick flipped one on its side to use as a shield and Tim did a similar thing to guard him and Stephanie.

"You think it can wait, Babs?" He joked half-heartedly and she knew it would have to. 

Dick peered around the table to get a view of the assailant and his jaw almost hit the ground as Red Hood fired a seemingly endless stream of bullets in every which way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of big things happening here! More to come!


	7. Turn of Events

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce can't leave for a few hours without shit hitting the fan.

_**December 31st; 10:07 pm (ET)** _

_**En route to Moscow, Russia** _

 

 

"You know, for what's essentially supposed to be a kidnapping, the amenities aren't half bad." Selina shrugged as she indulged in a shrimp cocktail. "Given that these guys are Russian, I half-expected to be forced to swim over."

Bruce smirked from the seat across from her. He still hadn't changed out of his tuxedo from the wedding, but Selina had more than made herself comfortable in pajama pants and a t-shirt. It was a long flight, but she didn't even wait 2 minutes into the flight to race to the bathroom (which he admitted was larger than the one on any of his private jets) to change out of the poofy wedding dress she wore hours ago. It had all been a whirlwind, even for the lives they led. Bruce expected a day, at least, to be recruited by Syndicate, but he knew the moment he spotted Pierson get up as Dick and Barbara were walking down the aisle that plans had been pushed ahead. He needed to figure out why that was and at the same time continue to appear as unassuming as he had thus far.

"I hope you've got a map." Selina's voice broke him out of his trance.

"Of Russia? I've memorized the terrain."

She rolled her eyes because  _of course he did_ , but smiled nonetheless. "Of your head, Brucie, because I think you're pretty lost in your thoughts or whatever you've got going on up there."

"I'm sorry. What were you saying about the shrimp cocktail?"

"We don't have to talk about shrimp cocktail, but we do have to talk. We're married now, at least..."  _They think we are_. "And we have to communicate if we're going to make the best out of all of this."  _And survive_.

"You're right."

"Can I get a recording of you saying that?"

"Don't push it." he smiled.

"So what are you thinking about?"

She knew just as well as he did that they were definitely being listened in on. It was acceptable for neither to appear too upset, given the high class of the care they were given along with the (thinly veiled) pretenses that this was all about the merge between Wayne Enterprises and Luddite Corps. That's what everyone back and Gotham would hear as well and everyone would likely assume Bruce Wayne went galavanting about with his new beautiful wife. In some ways, that was true, but then again, his idea of "galavanting" was different than the average man's. 

"I wish I could have said something to the kids." This was true. Anyone listening might assume he just meant saying goodbye to his adoptive children, but while that was also true, he feared they weren't prepared enough to take on the responsibility of guarding Gotham. He feared Dick would overwhelm himself with stepping into the cape and cowl, Barbara would overwork herself between being needed everywhere at once, Tim would be discouraged in his own abilities, Stephanie would be reckless and fearless to the point of destruction, Jason would break the vow that he'd kept to Bruce, and that Alfred would have to pick up all the pieces without him. 

"They're ready." She nodded. "Dick is 24 years old and you know Babs is going to play mama bird... Well, maybe not to  _him_ exactly, but... Hey, they're going to be great, because you taught them to be nothing but great. As cruel as it sounds, you can't worry about them right now."

"I know." He nodded. "Then again, I've never been all that practical when it comes to them. They're a weakness in a way."

They were quite the opposite of a weakness.

He knew he might have been laying it on a little thick, but Syndicate needed to see Bruce Wayne as a vulnerable man that could be broken and as much as it pained him to throw the kids out there, he had to tell himself that whatever backlash they receive can be handled. He'd never do any of this if he didn't know they were ready. He had his fears, but he never doubted them. Any of them. Dick's Batman would do things his could never dream of, Barbara would juggle her roles perfectly and prioritize her actions accordingly, Tim would realize he could be twice the detective Bruce ever was, Stephanie would rationalize and use good judgement as she's been practicing for so long, Jason wouldn't kill unless absolutely necessary because his word was good, and Alfred would always be the glue.

"We've all got our soft spots." She smiled weakly. 

"Oh yeah? Care to discuss?"

She raised an eyebrow at him that allowed reality to drip into their act once again. "Another time."

Selina didn't need to be weak. Bruce would never make her play such an act either. It was a damn disgrace to her character and everything she'd worked through to force her to play the victim, when she was anything but. She was the Cat and a predator in her own right. They knew this. They wouldn't have hired her if they didn't. It was only important that they sold their relationship to be legitimate.

"I know the honeymoon is being knicked  _for now_ , but what do you say we celebrate when we get to Russia anyway?"

"I say that's the best idea you've had. Besides the whole marriage thing." 

They leaned forward and toasted their glasses of champagne. "To us."

"To us."

He was about to press a kiss to her cheek so he could whisper in her ear covertly, but as he neared closer, his eyes fluttered to look out their window. The land appeared to be almost at a perfect 90 degree angle to them. A sudden jolt forward caused him to nearly collapse into her lap. He caught himself and propped himself up with the seat cushions across from him, but their eyes met in equal terror as the entire cabin shook so ruthlessly that cargo fell scattered everywhere.

"We're going done. And not in the fun way." She yelled over the popping in their ears.

For some reason, Bruce could only think to hope that the kids were having an easier time in Gotham.

* * *

_**December 31st; 10:07 pm** _

_**Wayne Manor** _

 

Rapid-fire bullets streaked the air at a mile a moment, but were subsequently drowned out by those who were struck by them. Shrieks of hysteria filled the room as guests desperately struggled to get out. From behind the table they were currently cornered behind, Tim and Stephanie struggled to gain a proper view of the situation. Across the room, they could see Dick, Barbara and Commissioner Gordon in a similar situation, except Gordon just so happened to bring his firearm to the reception.

"Wasn't he drinking?" Stephanie pondered out loud. "Should we be worried about that?"

"No, Steph, I'd say we should be worried that my brother is currently unloading his machine guns into the bodies of our guests."

"Right. Priorities. Are they rubber bullets?"

"Too much blood." He shook his head. "Jay is going real deal, here."

"How many down?"

"2 or 3." He winced. "All non-fatal wounds from what I can tell. I don't have a good vantage point from here, but I do know we have to give some of these powered people a chance to change so they can get the normies out of here."

"Normies? Why don't you just call them "muggles", Tim. I know you want to."

"Shush. I think I have a plan to distract them. You're not going to like it."

He locked eyes with Dick and somehow knew they had the same idea that both iterations of Batgirl was going to hate, but it was just stupid enough to work. Plus, it gave those like Clark and Barry a few seconds to suit up and save the day. They'd have to figure out a way to explain to the press why they were in the area sooner than later. Or where the hell Batman was during all of this. 

Stephanie opened her mouth to object immediately, because  _wow those were not encouraging words_ , but was interrupted by a swift kiss on the lips from Tim before he leapt over the clothed table that had been acting as their shield into the range of combat.

"See ya on the other side!" He called and Dick did a similar stunt from across the room.

"Dick, you moron!" Barbara yelled after him furiously. Though she couldn't think of a better way to get Clark the precious seconds he needed to "telephone booth" and get out there to deflect some major bullets. She turned to her father, who was still firing bullets in the direction of Red Hood and periodically ducked behind the table. "Should I even ask why you brought a gun to a wedding?"

"Barb, only you could be frustrated by this right now."

"I need a distraction outside of my ex-boyfriend leaping into the line of direct fire."

"I thought Hood was supposed to be a good guy."

"Oh believe me, Dad, this is not the face of a girl who's "in the know" with this situation." She bit back before army crawling across the floor over to where Clark Kent was currently helping some civilians out an exit door.

"Hey, any day now!" She hollered and he turned a brief shade of pink before disappearing into the empty stairwell and reappearing as Superman. 

_"God, how does no one notice that?"_

"It's Superman! Thank God!" Someone cheered. Others cheered as well, but this only seemed to anger Hood as he started to fire lethal shots. 

"This is just like when we were playing two-hand touch in the yard--" Dick started as he and Tim both dashed to avoid bullets and simultaneously move towards the active shooter. "--And Jay still tackled me full force!"

"Uh, I wouldn't say it's  _just_ like that." Tim groaned as he jumped behind another table to narrowly dodge a lethal blow to the stomach. "I'd say this is pretty different."

"Nope! All semantics!" Dick grunted and chucked a chair for Hood to deflect so Tim could get the jump on him. "First he tackles during two-hand touch, now he shoots lethal bullets at what's obviously a chair fight. He's always been a cheater."

"Yeah--" Tim took his moment and managed to kick Red Hood in the stomach. "Still not following."

"Anyway, if you're going to cheat, at least do it right." Dick slid under a table and side-swiped the attacker's legs to try and get him to topple over, but to no avail. Red Hood was firm in his stance and returned the gesture to a swift kick in the face. He elbowed Tim before he could counter attack so that the teenager smacked his head against the wall and slid down.

"We've got Superman!" Dick smiled a bloody smile, but a worried stare flickered towards Tim until he flinched a moment later. 

"I WANT BATMAN!" The nearly robotic voice boomed from behind the mask. 

Barbara and Stephanie, who were currently tending to a news reporter that got a nasty bullet to the sternum, exchanged a look.

"That's not Jay." They said in unison.

Babs snapped her attention towards the center of the ballroom, where the main festivities were taking place. Of course, she very well couldn't yell that for everyone else to hear, because identities, but they needed to get away from the monster who was presently capable of giving Superman a run for his money.

Red Hood, or who was dressed as him, snatched Tim from the floor and pressed one of his guns to his temple and stared Clark in the eyes. "Don't move, Superman. Bring me Batman."

"I don't know where he is." Superman answered honestly. "Put the boy down, Hood. This isn't you."

"YOU DON'T KNOW ME." Which was true, given this wasn't Jason Todd.

"You're not him." Dick spat. "Put my brother down."

"Get. Me. Batman. Or the boy dies."

Dick slowly stood to his feet and Hood pointed a gun at him too. 

"Dick, go find him." Superman nodded and raised his hands. "I won't do anything, but you can't move either. He's going to get you Batman."

Dick looked helplessly to Clark for a moment, because he had no idea where Bruce decided to hop off to. 

"But--"

"Go." He nodded.

Dick hurried over to the stairwell and was followed by Babs. He knelt over in a fit of heavy breathing. 

"He wants Batman or Bruce... I don't know, but I think he knows who he is. I think he wants to out him or something."

"So we give him Batman." She said after a long stare. 

"Babs, I don't know where Bruce--"

"--Dick." She cut him off. "He's gone. Plans started early."

"What? When? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was trying!" She objected. "In case you haven't noticed, an uninvited guest kind of interrupted that confession."

"So when you say "we give him Batman"..."

"That's you, baby!" She clapped and ran up the steps instead of down to safety with the other guests. "Come on. We've got to save Tim."


	8. Rescuing the Robins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone is pretending to be Red Hood and only Batman can stop them.

**_December 31st; 10:45 pm_ **

**_The Batcave_ **

 

Dick followed closely at Barbara's heels as she hastily led them down the spiraling stairs of the Batcave. Somewhere along the line, she discarded her pumps and opted to tread barefoot instead. He was careful not to trip over her long dress and was equally as careful not to get caught up in the sight of her wearing such an elegant gown. He briefly wondered if Tim chose the dresses or if he was simply giving Stephanie credit out of embarrassment. Anything that came to mind was merely a distraction from what task lie ahead. 

He had to be Batman.

Temporarily, yes, but it was stressful all the same just thinking about enveloping himself in the very darkness he resented Bruce for. The Bat didn't inspire hope or faith, but fear into the lives of the sickest criminals. He was affective in that way and Dick knew the results were grand. There was a line between Batman and the villains he fought that he would never cross, a line that had been instilled in Nightwing and Robin and crossed many times by Red Hood.

They passed Alfred after their descent, who was frantically pulling up full screen visuals of the grand ballroom and trying to make his own assessment of the situation. Alfred didn't look like it, but was far superior analytically than he led on. Alfred was gifted in internalization the same way Bruce and Babs were. Well, none of them were the same at all, actually. Alfred always seemed calm and collect, but voiced his concerns constantly. Bruce held every emotion inside outside of anger and saved it for sleepless nights and visits to his parent's grave. Barbara was the realist that sat in the middle of Bruce's pessimism and Dick's optimism and spoke logically most of the time. She was good with expressing her concern and had a streak of an Irish temper, but there was always the sense that she was carrying a weight so others didn't have to and she wouldn't allow it to crush her in order to resist looking weak. 

Dick was not good at internalization and feared his Batman could mean negative change. 

"Hey." Babs gently shook his arm and they were standing before a line of large glass display cases. More specifically, each case held a costume donned by a team member. Some had more than one. For instance, both his Nightwing and Robin suits were on full display next to each other and all 3 of Steph's costumes were on the end. Each had their own little beacon of light shining down on them. Front and center was Batman, of course, and it looked intimidating even without Bruce on the other side of the mask. Could he uphold such a legacy? To most, it would be an honor, but to him, it felt like a duty.

"It's not going to fit." He said plainly. He wasn't wrong either. Dick wasn't the shortest of the Robins, standing between the compact Tim and hulking Jason, but was certainly shorter than Bruce. Not to mention, a lot more lean and toned versus rippling with juiced up muscle. 

Barbara looked at him curiously. Of all the current worries in the world, with Jason now missing, Bruce on a deadly mission out of their reach, and Tim having a gun to his head, the former boy wonder still managed to amuse her. She knew he was just scared and that was plain to see for anyone who knew him as well as she did. She'd be a liar if she said she wasn't worried what being Batman could do to Dick, but they didn't have much of a choice in the matter. The lack of options didn't mean she didn't trust him though. If anyone could, it was him.

"Miss Gordon and I planned accordingly for that, Master Dick." Alfred entered in a code on the computer and sure enough, the other cases slid aside to make room for another that emerged from the floor. This was another Batsuit and very similar to Bruce's at that, but built for someone of shorter and leaner stature. The lines seemed less jaded around the jawline and there was certainly more give around the torso so Dick could move fluidly and fight acrobatically as he saw fit. He would argue there was something less intense about this suit and while most would be insulted by this, he couldn't have been more grateful. 

"Whoa." Was his intelligent analysis. 

He swore for a moment he saw Alfred smirk, but it was gone in a moment when his eyes flickered back to the screen.

"It appears our Red Hood wannabe is losing his patience."

They looked to see a circle of civilians, two of which included Tim AND Steph, all taking a turn with the gun bumping the back of their heads. Clark seemed paralyzed from a few feet away.

"Zoom in." Barbara urged and moved forward next to Alfred as he did so.

"What is that?" He asked as he honed in on what lie in the assailant's right hand.

"Kryptonite?" She wrinkled her brow. "Not only did he know Batman was at this wedding, but he knew Superman would be too."

"I WANT BATMAN!!!" Howled the robotic voice and suddenly the figure pointed his gun towards the screen and fired until all they saw was static. 

"He fried the surveillance cameras." Barbara groaned. "Meaning he knew where they were. Dick, you gotta get out there. I'll go up and try to reinstall the software via the clock tower, but I can't promise perfect results if the bastard destroyed the router in the process without placing a new one in place.

"I'll do that, Miss Gordon. To this killer, I am just a butler and will appear harmless. He might know who Batgirl and Oracle are too. For now, help Batman get undressed and dressed. I assume it's nothing you haven't seen before."

She opened her mouth to object, but also turned a bright shade of pink, and closed it due to rationalizing that they were pressed for time. Dick would normally make a smug comment of his own, but was still too inside his own head to say anything. 

"That comment will be addressed later there, Jeeves." 

He smiled before disappearing up the winding stairs. Dick sometimes wondered if Alfred wished he was in the game more than just behind the computers. Babs missed the field like crazy during her paralysis and he couldn't blame her. They were all adrenaline junkies at heart.

* * *

 

**_December 31st; 11:07 pm_ **

**_Wayne Manor_ **

 

Tim tried to assess the situation around them. The Justice League members in attendance managed to get the remaining civilians out of harms way without being outed, but he, Steph, Clark, and two unconscious reporters all remained tied up in a small circle. Red Hood surprised everyone with a batch of Kryptonite, meaning he came prepared for such a skirmish. How or why he knew could only be explained by Jason's absence. Someone wanted to out Bruce as Batman and take down a few Robins in the process.

"I think he has a thing against Robins." Steph murmured as if she could read minds.

Tim looked over at the lurking figure and how he'd managed to fire a single shot directly into the main surveillance camera of the ballroom. The only good thing about frying it, was Barbara had installed a means of making it impossible to track in such a case. The Batcave was like Fort Knox only stronger.

"And Batgirls, apparently." He nodded at her.

"I was a Robin." She hissed.

"For like, a second." 

"Babs would be here too if his beef were with Batgirls."

He hummed quietly. "I'm thinking he hates pretty much all of us, Steph, or at least wants us out of the way."

"Why are you two discussing this so openly?" Clark groaned.

"Because it's obvious he already knows who we all are. Is that correct, Hood 2.0?"

"Shut your trap, Robin!" The monotone voice snarled. 

"That's a yes." Stephanie sighed. "And we've been so careful lately. Just wondering, did you grab me for being Robin too?"

"You were Robin?" The voice seemed genuinely confused. "I grabbed you, because you're Robin's girlfriend."

"HAH!" Tim exclaimed and if her hands weren't bound together, she'd smack him. 

"Jason didn't mention me at all? What the hell?"

"You're mad your teammate didn't out you?" Clark spat.

"Knowing Jay, it wasn't out of nobility." She huffed. "He doesn't always see me worth mentioning."

"For what it's worth, I think you're the best Spoiler ever." Tim nodded. 

"Not Batgirl?"

He was blank for a moment. "So, Hood, what's the deadline for Batman showing up?"

"Tim!"

"Baby, you know I think you're kickass and awesome, but Babs is steep competition."

"I can't believe this." Clark rested his head down. "Where the hell is Jason?"

"Todd is a bit... Tied up."

"I'm guessing that's literal." She mumbled. "Villains love being literal."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP OR I WILL PUT A BULLET IN BETWEEN YOUR EYES!" 

"Now he's sounding more like Jason."

* * *

 

**_December 31st; 11:18 pm_ **

**_The Batcave_ **

 

"I know you wanted this thing to be impossible to be broken into, but you couldn't have made it easier to put on?"

Barbara grunted in response as she finally yanked the Kevlar over his shoulders. "It's not my fault you've got a big ass."

"I think you mean best sculpted ass in Gotham."

She silently agreed, but still mumbled a fair share of complaints.

"There." She breathed. "My workout for the day is taken care of."

"Do you think I can do this?" He felt so small despite standing tall over her in his new Batsuit. He wore all except the cowl now and though he knew he would have to put it on, he wasn't sure he was ready or if he ever will be.

She stood in front of him and eyed him up and down in admiration. "Yes."

"Yes?"

"We did good with the suit."

"Thanks." He muttered.

"Hey." She reached up and took his face in her hands, forcing him to look her in the eyes. Dick had such warmth and softness in the blue of his eyes that Bruce's steely stare could never compare to. Even still, she knew he'd make a damn good Batman.

"You're already a hero." She began. "And you will never fail me or this team as long as you try. I know it's not fair that through all of this, we're looking to you, but there's a reason for that. You've always been the one to stand tall and roll with the punches. You're ready. I wouldn't have customized a suit for you if you weren't. We lean on you, because we know you can take it.  But you are not alone."

"You're always so sure." A soft smile graced his lips.

"That's because I believe in you."

He knew she meant every word.

"Thanks, Babs... Or am I talking to Oracle? Batgirl? Future Commissioner Gordon?"

"Get your ass out there, Bat Wonder." She rolled her eyes.

 

* * *

 

**_December 31st; 11:27 pm_ **

**_Wayne Manor_ **

 

"I'll give him 3 more minutes until I start shooting."

"Not even gonna hold off till midnight?" A raspy voice game from above.

Everyone looked up to see Batman swing down from the ceiling and dropping to the floor, light on his feet.

"Batman... Nice of you to join. Where's Batgirl and and Nightwing? I thought this was a party."

"I'm a Batgirl!" Steph snapped. "Seriously, why am I constantly being forgotten?"

Tim stared in wonder at Batman. Obviously, it was Dick. The costume was different, but he was surprised how well it suited him. The optimism and levity of Nightwing was gone with the exception of the ghost of a smirk on his face. 

"Where's the real Red Hood?" He growled. 

"I'm sure it's only a matter of time before Oracle finds him. He's alive, but I just came here to see if that Bat is really out of town."

"No such luck."

"Interesting... Well, I'll give my best to the Hood."

"You wanted me. Come get me."

A thick imitation of a laugh echoed through the halls.

Tim furrowed his brow. "All of this couldn't have been for show?"

"Relax there and let the big kids talk." If he could see their face, he knew they'd be smirking.

"None of this was for nothing. A big storm is coming and I'm taking you all one by one by one by one."

"Quite a bit of ones." Oracle said in their ears.

"But if you thought you were getting a fight, I'd check your clock and wait for the surprise." He placed a gun to the head of one of the unconscious reporters.

"In the meantime, clean up this mess."

Batman dove in front of him and lunged at the Hood, taking a bullet to the shoulder that was deflected by his suit, and ripped off the mask with one grab.

"Let's see who you really are."

He'd let himself be captured obviously, because a soft ticking began.

"Batman, look out!" Alfred's voice echoed through the comma. Clearly, he was able to stabilize the surveillance system as promised.

Dick didn't have much of a chance to see his identity, because an explosion occurred, setting the man on fire. Batman skillfully shoved him away from the kidnapped and watched in horror as the man was nothing more than a pile of ash after a mere few seconds.

"Who the fuck was that?" Steph asked.

"More like _what_  the fuck was that?" Barbara's voice came through the cowl. "Based on my analysis, that was not human."

"Whoever or whatever it was, they know who we are." He sighed ruefully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise after this chapter we won't be stuck on the same day again and that time will go by a little quicker. This was just an eventful day.


End file.
